The present invention relates to a process for processing charge data for telecommunications services, an exchange, a charge computer, a charge billing computer, a program module for an exchange, a program module for a charge computer and a charge billing computer, all for implementing this process.
In the known processes for the charge billing of telecommunications services, exchanges of a telecommunications network send a charge billing computer charge messages for telecommunications services which have in each case been used by users of the telecommunications network served by the exchanges. This is also often referred to as billing centre (BC) or customer care and billing centre (CCBC). Charge messages for call connections are also referred to in particular as call tickets. The exchanges send the charge messages in a format and structure adapted to the relevant charge billing computer to be used. For this purpose the exchanges must be adapted in a complex manner to the relevant charge billing computer to be used and require suitable interface modules.
In a first solution to this problem, an exchange is in each case preceded by a charge computer which converts the charge source data from a format customarily used in the exchange into charge billing data represented in a format intelligible to the charge billing computer. Additionally, some data are also eliminated from the charge source data by the charge computer, thereby minimising the load on the transmission path to the charge billing computer and on the charge billing computer itself. Such a charge computer is for example a server connected via a LAN (Local Area Network) to the exchange. To increase the fail-safety, the server is expediently a double computer unit with which one sub-computer can in each case assume the functions of the other sub-computer. Despite the expediency and proven practical success of such a charge computer, the required double computer unit is so cost-intensive that smaller exchanges cannot be equipped with a separate charge computer of this kind but must themselves generate and transmit charge messages for the charge billing computer in the complex manner described in the introduction.
Therefore the object of the invention is to provide cost-efficient and effective processing for charge data for exchanges.
This object is achieved by a process, an exchange, a charge computer, a charge billing computer, a program module for an exchange, a program module for a charge computer and a program module for a charge billing computer, all as described more fully below. Combinations of the solutions referred to in the claims and the description are readily possible.
The invention is based on the principle that a charge computer, by which charge source data are converted into charge billing data processible by a charge billing computer and optionally buffered, is assigned not only one exchange but also at least one second exchange. The charge computer processes charge source data received from the relevant exchanges and converts these so that they can be interpreted as charge billing data by a downstream charge billing computer. By inserting identifier fields or by using dedicated connection paths, the charge computer ensures that the charge billing computer can assign to the relevant exchanges the charge billing data which have been received from the charge computer but which emanate from different exchanges. The complex processing of the charge source data is thus displaced from the relevant exchanges to a charge computer, it being possible to use the charge computer for a plurality of exchanges and thus to achieve an optimal cost-benefit ratio. The exchanges, which are substantially designed to establish connections under real-time conditions, are relieved of the processing of the charge source data which, with the exception of the so-called hot billing process, need not take place under time-critical conditions, and can be produced in a correspondingly cost-efficient manner. Adaptation to new requirements on the part of the charge billing computer is also more easily possible as not every exchange, but only the charge computer serving the exchanges, need be adapted to the charge billing computer.
The charge computer can expediently consist of a substantially fail-safe double computer unit.
In an advantageous further development of the invention, at least one of the exchanges assigned to a charge computer checks whether the charge computer is available. If this is not the case, the exchange then sends an alarm message for example to a network control centre which controls and monitors the exchange. Even if the charge computer has to send a fault message or information message, advantageously it sends such a message to one or more of the exchanges which it is assigned, which then inform(s) the network control centre. The charge computer thus does not essentially require its own interface for a network control centre and, from the standpoint of the network control centre, an exchange and the charge computer assigned thereto form a common network node to be integrally controlled and monitored.
To increase the fail-safety, in a further advantageous variant of the invention, an exchange is assigned not only one charge computer but also at least one second charge computer or further charge computers. If the first charge computer is overloaded or fails, the exchange can then send its charge source data to the second charge computer.
A further increase in the fail-safety is achieved in that an exchange and the charge computer assigned thereto can communicate with one another via alternative communications paths. In the event of the failure of one communications path, the relevant other communications path can then be used. This variant of the invention is particularly fail-safe if different physical paths or even different telecommunications networks are used for the communications paths.
In a preferred variant of the invention, an exchange and the charge computer assigned thereto communicate via a connection on which it is possible to use an internet protocol, as cheaply obtainable components can be used for this purpose, in particular for the charge computer, and an internet protocol is flexibly adaptable for the telegram interface between charge computer and exchange.